450 orchid-grower's manual. 



it conforms to the type. Allied to the last is the variety fir.ta, which 

 has many small dai-k purple spots on the sepals and petals, and the 

 throat yellow. The spots are, of course, derived from Cattleya Leopoldi. 

 The variety platychila is also nearly allied to prasiata, but wants the 

 green disk to the sepals, while the lip is very broad and flat, and the 

 lobes nearly confluent. Houtteana has rose-coloured flowers with a little 

 green near the base of the sepals and petals, and some yellow on the 

 sides of the throat. A few other varieties differ chiefly in colour, and 

 some of them are extremely brilliant. Of these Turneri is characterised 

 by its very deep colour, and the distinctly stalked obovate front lobe of 

 the lip. The one called Blenheimensis is rather smaller, with the disk of 

 the sepals lighter, the front lobe of the lip small and sessile, and the 

 throat white. Broomeana and Littleana are both very dark varieties, 

 but differ from Turneri in having the short broad front lobe of the 

 original form. Two or three others have the sepals and petals inclining 

 to buff" or nankeen-yellow ; as incantans, Nyleptha, and Measuresiana. 

 In the first these organs are nankeen-yellow with the lip much as in 

 the original form. In the second, they are sulphur-yellow faintly tinged 

 with rose ; and in the third sulphur-white, inclining to buff" behind, and 

 the lip white with crimson-purple lobes. Four other veiy distinct 

 varieties remain to be mentioned. The one called lobata takes its name 

 from the fact that the petals have an obtuse lobe on either side. They 

 are washed with light brownish-purple on the margins, and the sepals 

 have innumerable brown spots on their surface. Brysiana is a very 

 remarkable form. The sepals and petals are light green suffused with dull 

 purple and covered with numerous small darker spots, while the lip is 

 three-lobed and dull violet-purple in front. It appeared in 1856, but 

 seems to have long been lost sight of. The variety giganiea is also verv 

 marked. It has nearly white sepals and petals which bear numerous small, 

 rosy-purple spots, while the front part of the lip is amethyst-purple. Lastly 

 comes CooJcsoni, which differs from every other in having an entire lip, 

 closely resembling that of Laelia pvrpurata. The sepals and petals are 

 light olive-green, with some small purple spots towards the summit. 

 Laelia X pachystele may also belong here. It has rose-coloured sepals 

 and petals, and a white lip with three rather narrow purple lobes. 



" We may now consider the second hybrid, Laelio-Cattleya X Schil- 

 leriana, otherwise Laelia purpurata intermedia. 



